Joint device for a disconnectable mechanical and electric connection of an electric light pendant or other suspended electric apparatus, to a carrying means

ABSTRACT

A device for joining the mechanical and electrical connections of an electrical apparatus to its carrying assembly including a stationary member fixedly connected to the carrying assembly, a movable member connected to the electrical apparatus capable of being removed with said apparatus and including an inner chamber on the bottom of which are located a plurality of entrance orifices of vertical electric sockets together with vertical guiding grooves, the movable member comprising a contact disk, from the lower surface of which projects downwardly a plurality of vertical metal pins so spaced therebetween as to be able to enter the respective sockets arranged in the stationary joint member, a peripheral flange adapted to be engaged by the guiding grooves to define the correct mutual positioning between the stationary and movable members in operation, the inner chamber having a height higher than the total height of the contact plug including the pins and communicating with the outside by means of an entrance opening having a width equal to that of the plug, while at the part of the stationary member which is placed below the inner chamber bottom the entrance opening has a width equal to the diameter of the stem at the other end of which is fixed the contact plug, the stem having at its lower end a sleeve provided with an inner vertical threaded hole in which is screwed the threaded end of the pendant stem, the sleeve forming an outer projection with respect to the lower stem and adapted be held by a fork-like means mounted at the upper end of a stick.

United States Patent Epifani et a1.

[4 Dec. 19, 1972 [54] JOINT DEVICE FOR A DISCONNECTABLE MECHANICAL AND ELECTRIC CONNECTION OF AN ELECTRIC LIGHT PENDANT OR OTHER SUSPENDED ELECTRIC APPARATUS, TO A CARRYING MEANS [72] Inventors: Corrado Epifani, Via Benaducci,

26-Foligno; Luigi Pucci, Via Flaminia Vecchia, Frazione S. Eraclio, both of Italy [22] Filed: Dec.21, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 100,262

Primary Examiner-Joseph H. McGlynn Attorney- Brufsky, Staas, Broiner & Halsey [5 7 ABSTRACT A device for joining the mechanical and electrical connections of an electrical apparatus to its carrying assembly including a stationary member fixedly connected to the carrying assembly, a movable member connected to the electrical apparatus capable of being removed with said apparatus and including an inner chamber on the bottom of which are located a plurality of entrance orifices of vertical electric sockets together with vertical guiding grooves, the movable member comprising a contact disk, from the lower surface of which projects downwardly a plurality of vertical metal pins so spaced therebetween as to be able to enter the respective sockets arranged in the stationary joint member, a peripheral flange adapted to be engaged by the guiding grooves to define the correct mutual positioning between the stationary and movable members in operation, the inner chamber having a height higher than the total height of the contact plug including the pins and communicating with the outside by means of an entrance opening having a width equal to that of the plug, while at the part of the stationary member which is placed below the inner chamber bottom the entrance opening has a width equal to the diameter of the stem at the other end of which is fixed the contact plug, the stem having at its lower end a sleeve provided with an inner vertical threaded hole in which is screwed the threaded end of the pendant stem, the sleeve forming an outer projection with respect to the lower stem and adapted be held by a fork-like means mounted at the upper end of a stick.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures JOINT DEVICE FOR A DISCONNECTABLE MECHANICAL AND ELECTRIC CONNECTION OF AN ELECTRIC LIGHT PENDANT OR OTHER SUSPENDED ELECTRIC APPARATUS, TO A CARRYING MEANS The present invention relates to a connecting device which provides both mechanical and electric connection between an electrical apparatus such as an electric light pendant, a lamp, a ceiling fan or the like, and a carrying means, assembly. The carrying assembly comprises a hook, a ring-head bolt or the like, which hangs down from a ceiling or is attached to a rigid carrying arm or the like. The connecting device permits removal of the electrical apparatus from its carrying means while simultaneously disconnecting the electric circuits of the apparatus from those leading to the feeding network. The operation may be performed in a very easy manner and the operation does not have to be elevated, if use is made of a special auxiliary device which is also part of the present invention.

The present invention is particularly advantageous if applied to an electric light pendant, since it enables taking the pendant down easily and quickly. It is often desirable to take down overhead electrical fixtures in order to perform maintenance, cleaning operations or to substitute electric lead-in wires. It is difficult to change lead-in wires in such fixtures, particularly in light fixtures which have thin or curved arms.

For such a purpose the stationary member of the connecting device is made integral with a ceiling rose. Ceiling roses are commonly provided to hide downwardly projecting ceiling hooks and the electric wire connections. The movable member of the connecting device is connected with the upper end of the conventional stem or chain provided to support the electric light pendant.

In the stationary member of the connecting device a shaped hollow chamber is arranged into which, by means of a horizontal approaching movement, can be inserted a contact block or disc, which is a part of the movable connecting member. The contact disc carries downwardly projecting vertical metallic pins forming an electric plug. This electric plug is designed to enter and to be lowered in a pre-determined position into a seat arranged on the bottom of the inner hollow chamber. The desired position is attained by the plug element in consequence of downward movement caused by the weight of the electric light pendant. At the end of the downward movement the contact block fits into the seat and the vertical electric pins are locked by an elastic force into the respective sockets which open in the bottom of said hollow chamber.

Thus the electric light pendant remains coupled to the ceiling rose and at the same time an electric connection is re-established between the wires of the electric light pendant which pass through the supporting stem or rod and those which are enclosed in the ceiling.

The present invention further provides means for adjusting the rose position with respect to the ceiling surface and another auxiliary means which enables the assembling and disassembling of the electric light pendant or the like without the use of a step-ladder or the like.

It is known that electric input pendants or the like are commonly hung on iron pieces which are partially embedded into the ceiling, from which they hang down with a hook, a ring portion or thelike. The hooks are often positioned at different heights so that the unpleasant sight may be received in ceiling roses which are more or less distant from the ceiling surfaces, even if, it is always necessary to maintain the common ceiling roses or bosses spaced a little away from the ceiling surface in order to be able to connect the electric wires of the electric light pendant to the terminals to the supply network, thence hiding said connections behind the said rose or boss. Said electric connections are very difficult to perform since the worker must work standing on a ladder or the like. Repair operations of the electric circuits within the electric light pendant or periodic cleaning operations are equally difficult. Therefore it is very usual to see dusty electric light pendants having dirty glass bulbes, lamp-shades or reflectors.

This invention overcomes said inconveniences since it enables quick assemble and disassemble of an electric light pendant, or the like. automatically connecting and disconnecting the electric circuits. The operation may be performed without any use of ladders or the like.

The accompanying drawing shows, merely by way of example, one embodiment of the invention, when applied to an electric light pendant, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of the two parts forming the joint device, said parts being shown as they are separated from each other;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the two parts in the position of FIG. 1, said view being taken from the plane indicated with A-A in FIG. 1.

At 1 is indicated a hook which hangs down from the ceiling; 2 are the terminals of the electric cable housed into a chase arranged into the ceiling, through said cable electric current being supplied to the electric light pendant which has'not been shown, since it can be of any type. 3 is the ceiling rose or boss which hides the wires 2 and the hook 1, the ceiling rose 3 being connected to said hook 1 by a device comprising a nut and screw joint 4, 4a provided to adjust the position of the I ceiling rose 3 with respect to the ceiling surface, i.e., 'to position said rose 3 perfectly adjacent to said ceiling surface after having connected the terminals of the cable 2 with the contact screws 12, as will be hereinafter described. Near the flat base 3a of said ceiling rose or boss 3 a hole 8 is arranged through which the cable 2 can come out of the rose 3. Underneath the rose bottom 3a is fixed a hollow body 7 provided with a closed shaped bottom from which projects upwards a part which defines in combination of the inner side surface of said hollow 7 an annular guiding channel or groove 7b. In the top surface of the projection In there are the entrance openings of the vertical sockets 13 including elastic semicylindric contact blades having vertical axes and which are electrically connected with the terminal screws 12 provided to fix the terminals of the wires of the cable 2, which passes along the outside of the hollow body 7. At 6 is indicated an outer cap fixed to the body 7, for instance, by means of at least a screw 20 and which is designed for hiding the said wires 2, the terminal screws 12 and the body 7. On one side of the cap 6 there is a large opening 22 which has substantially a width equal to the diameter of the hollow chamber in the inside of the body 7, said opening 22 lO60ll 0123 below the height of the top surface of the projection 7a extending downwardly with a narrower slot 22a ending with a semicircular portion which is concentric with the parts 3, 7 and 7a and which has a diameter equal to that of the rod or stem 24 projecting downwardly from the contact disk or block 9 which is a part of the movable member of the joint device. Also in the cylindrical body 7 and in its projecting part 7a is arranged a slot comprising parts 22c, 22b having the same width as that of the parts 22, 22a of the slot arranged in the cap 6.

Said contact disc 9 is constituted of a horizontal plate carrying the-terminal screws 16 electrically connected with the contact pins 14 which project downward and which are positioned in the same way as the sockets 13 into which the pins 14 will be inserted.-Through the terminal screws 16 the metal pins 14 are connected with the respective wires of the cable, 23 leading to the lamps of the electric light pendant.

' The hollow rod or stem 24 is connected to the conventional rod 21, having a threaded head of the electric light pendant by means of a sleeve or boss 18 provided with an axial threaded hole, while its outer surface is so shaped as 'to constitute a gripping means for the purpose disclosed hereinbelow. The contact disc or plug 9 has a width equal to the inner diameter of the chamber defined in the inside of the cylindric body '7, and its peripheral edge projects downwardly with a ridge or flange 9a having a shape complemental to that of the channel 7b, wherein it must be inserted in order to cooperate in guiding the movable member of the joint device so as to be correctly positioned with regard to the stationary member of the same joint device, while from that part of the movable member which is designed to be aligned with the sides of the openings 22, 22a, projects outwardly and downwardly respectively a shaped wall 9b, 90 adapted to complete the outer outline of the cap 9, so as to close the entrance openings 22 and 22a.

Therefore the electric light pendant together with the movable part of the joint device can be moved to and from the stationary member of the joint device; i.e., the contact disc 9 of the movable member can be moved into the hollow space within the stationary member passing through the openings 22 and 22c, while the stem 24 passes through the openings 22a, 22b, said contact disc 9 together the pins 14 being carried over the top surface of the projection 7a which must be obviously spaced away from the bottom 3a of the ceiling rose 3 of a distance higher than the height of the unit constituted of the contact disc 9, the flange 9a and the contact pins 14. As the contact disc 9 comes into contact with the inner surface of the chamber formed inside of the hollow body 7, at the point opposite to the opening 220, at the same time the stem 24 comes in contact with the ends of the openings 22a and 22b, thus the electric light pendant becomes exactly coaxial with the ceiling rose 3, while the pins 14 are brought into register with their respective sockets 13. Then the grip on the stem 24 will be released so that in consequence of the pendant weight, this latter lowers together with the movable member of the joint device until the disc 9 rests on the upper surface of the projection 7a and the pins 14 are duly inserted into the respective sockets 13, this movement being correctly guided by the guiding flange 9a coming down into the channel 7b so that at the end of this movement not only a stable mechanical connection of the electric light pendant to its supporting means is performed, but also an automatic electric connection between the electric wires of the cable 2 and those of the cable 23 is obtained.

In order to make easier and less hard the assembling and disassembling operations, the invention provides an auxiliary device, which is constituted of a tubular body or sleeve 19, designed to be mounted and fixedly connected in any suitable manner, on the end of a common stick 25 or the like, having a convenient length. The sleeve 18 is integral with a fork-head 19a adapted to engage the sleeve 18 so as to permitto raise said sleeve 18 together with all the parts connected thereto, i.e., the movable member of the joint device and the electric light pendant. Therefore by using said stick 25 a worker, who stands on the ground and without the use of ladders or the like, can grip with the fork end 19a of the stick 25 the sleeve 18 and move the electric light pendant upwards until the unit 9, 9a, 14 is brought in such a position that it can enter through the openings 22, 22c and reach the inner chamber within the body '7; y

then the grip on the stick 25 is released so that the force of gravity causes the vertical displacement of the electric light pendant as well as of the movable joint member until the mechanical and electrical connections are performed. In the case of the disassembling operation, by acting with the stick 25 on the sleeve 18, firstly the electric light pendant together with the movable joint member is caused to raise until the flange 9a and the pins 14 are disengaged from the channel 7b and the sockets 13 respectively; then the unit comprising the contact disc 9, the pins 14 and the stem 24 from, which is carried the electric light pendant, is caused to come out of and to be removed from thestationary joint member which is integral with the carrying means 3.

We claim:

1. A device for disconnectably joining mechanical and electrical connections of a suspended electrical apparatus to a carrying means, said device comprising a stationary member fixedly connectable to said carrying means and a movable member connectable to said electrical apparatus, which movable member is removable together with said electrical apparatus from said stationary member, said stationary member comprising an inner chamber on the bottom of which is located a plurality of entrance orifices of vertical electric sockets and vertical guiding grooves, said movable member comprising a contact disk from the lower surface of which project downwardly a plurality of vertical metal pins so spaced thereon as to be able to respectively operatively engage said electric sockets of said stationary member and a peripheral flange adapted to be engaged by said vertical guiding grooves of said stationary member to define the correct operative mutual positioning between said stationary and said movable members, said movable member further comprising a stem member, attached at one end to said contact disk and adapted to be connected to said electrical apparatus at the other end, said inner chamber of said stationary member having a height greater than the total height of said contact disk and said pins of said movable member, said inner chamber communicating with l060ll 0124 the exterior of said stationary member by means of an entrance opening having a width at least equal to that of said contact disk, said stationary member and said movable member, when electrically and mechanically connected, held in operative mutual position by the weight of said movable member.

2. The device of claim 1 in which said stem has a sleeve provided with an inner vertically threaded hole adapted to receive a threaded connector to connect said stem to said electrical device, said sleeve forming an outer projection, with respect to said stem, adapted to be held by a fork-like means mounted at one end of an elongated member.

3. The device of claim 1 in which said carrying means includes a ceiling rose connectable to a hanging member attached to a ceiling surface, said ceiling rose including an adjusting device comprising a screw cooperating with a nut designed to enable adjustment of the position of the ceiling rose relative to said hangthat of said contact disk, the portion of said opening in said cap extending below said opening of said inner chamber having a width equal to that of said stem member.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said movable member comprises a flange designed to fit into said entrance in said cap so as to hide said entrance and complete the Wall of said cap when said movable member is connected to said stationary member. 

1. A device for disconnectably joining mechanical and electrical connections of a suspended electrical apparatus to a carrying means, said device comprising a stationary member fixedly connectable to said carrying means and a movable member connectable to said electrical apparatus, which movable member is removable together with said electrical apparatus from said stationary member, said stationary member comprising an inner chamber on the bottom of which is located a plurality of entrance orifices of vertical electric sockets and vertical guiding grooves, said movable member comprising a contact disk from the lower surface of which project downwardly a plurality of vertical metal pins so spaced thereon as to be able to respectively operatively engage said electric sockets of said stationary member and a peripheral flange adapted to be engaged by said vertical guiding grooves of said stationary member to define the correct operative mutual positioning between said stationary and said movable members, said movable member further comprising a stem member, attached at one end to said contact disk and adapted to be connected to said electrical apparatus at the other end, said inner chamber of said stationary member having a height greater than the total height of said contact disk and said pins of said movable member, said inner chamber communicating with the exterior of said stationary member by means of an entrance opening having a width at least equal to that of said contact disk, said stationary member and said movable member, when electrically and mechanically coNnected, held in operative mutual position by the weight of said movable member.
 2. The device of claim 1 in which said stem has a sleeve provided with an inner vertically threaded hole adapted to receive a threaded connector to connect said stem to said electrical device, said sleeve forming an outer projection, with respect to said stem, adapted to be held by a fork-like means mounted at one end of an elongated member.
 3. The device of claim 1 in which said carrying means includes a ceiling rose connectable to a hanging member attached to a ceiling surface, said ceiling rose including an adjusting device comprising a screw cooperating with a nut designed to enable adjustment of the position of the ceiling rose relative to said hanging member and said ceiling surface, said ceiling rose integral with a hollow body defining said inner chamber and said rose externally covered by a cap, said cap provided with a lateral entrance opening extending from the proximity of the edge to at least the center of the cap, said opening of said cap aligned with said entrance opening of said inner chamber, the portion of said opening in said cap extending above the bottom of said opening of said inner chamber having a width equal to that of said contact disk, the portion of said opening in said cap extending below said opening of said inner chamber having a width equal to that of said stem member.
 4. The device of claim 3 wherein said movable member comprises a flange designed to fit into said entrance in said cap so as to hide said entrance and complete the wall of said cap when said movable member is connected to said stationary member. 